Wednesday, October 05, 2005

Happy 15th birthday to my wonderful son, Arin! 15. How is that possible?! How is it possible that the little squirmy creature who came out of me is now taller than me?! Life is so wild. And you are so cool, Arin. I was so worried about you becoming a teenager, but so far, it's been a treat. You have a zest for life and a true kindness that both amuse and inspire me. I feel very lucky to be your mom. It's amazing to watch you grow, to watch you claim your intelligence, your sense of humor, your easy energy. I can't believe you'll be driving next year. And possibly moving out a couple of years after that. I look forward to seeing where those size 13 feet take you. I know it will be a grand adventure, and I know you will take it all in stride. Happy birthday, my beautiful son. I love you with all my heart.

We have given Arin quite a bit of freedom, but I can't imagine sending him to NYC by himself yet! I do hope we'll get to do more traveling as a family before he leaves home. I want both kids to have very broad horizons...

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About Me

I am the author of Fruitflesh: Seeds of Inspiration for Women Who Write (HarperSanFrancisco), Dictionary Poems (Pudding House Publications), and the novels The Book of Dead Birds (HarperCollins), which won Barbara Kingsolver's Bellwether Prize for Fiction in Support of a Literature of Social Change, Self Storage (Ballantine)and Delta Girls (Ballantine), along with my first novel for young readers, My Life with the Lincolns (Henry Holt). You can visit my website at www.gaylebrandeis.com or email me at gaylebrandeis at gmail.com. I am on the national staff of CODEPINK: Women for Peace and am a founding member of the Women Creating Peace Collective. I live in Riverside, CA, where I am currently serving a two year term as Inlandia Literary Laureate, and am mom to two adult kids and a toddler.